We Always Drank the Water on Base

The following is a personal story submitted to Civilian Exposure and published as part of our new series: “Contamination Chronicles: Personal Stories of Exposure”. If you would like to submit your story, you may fill out our form here or send directly via email to share-@-civilianexposure.org.

I served in the United States Marine Corps at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina from May, 1967 to sometime in late 1968. In 1967, I was part of a group of Marines who were the aggressors for the Reservists that came there for two weeks of training.

We lived in the field and made their lives miserable. We always drank the water on base, showered with it, and washed our mess kits and clothing in it. While in the field training we had so many tick bites we had lumps on our necks from the bites which were infected and they gave us an antibiotic to treat it and kept us from doing these training exercises for a short time. I will be 67 years of age soon and I still have sores on my scalp like I did back then.

I went back into the Marine Corps Reserves and we trained at 29 Palms, California for three two-week training missions from 1982/1983 to 1985/1986 when I left the reserves. I drank the water and showered in the water there as well and I heard was contaminated. We were also at Parris Island and Camp Geiger.

In 1973 my first daughter was born. She now suffers from migraines like me. Her daughter was born with juvenile diabetes. I have two sons from a second marriage. My son was born in June, 1995 and has a slight form of Asperger’s. His brother was born in 1997 and has ADHD. I have PTSD along with concentration issues which they claim is either ADD or ADHD.

I wonder if Asperger’s, ADD or ADHD has been reported by some victims of this contamination.

Note from the Editor: The account/editorial is verbatim from the author without edit, with only the omission of their name to preserve anonymity.

Civilian Exposure is a fully tax-exempt, non-profit news and outreach organization. Our writing and research is made possible through reader support.
We are dedicated to shedding light on the extent of military contamination, as well as the generational health impacts to all people exposed. Our work honors and serves our nation’s military veterans and civilian DOD personnel working aboard US military installations, along with their families and children, in need of critical information about exposures.

Support Contamination Coverage

Donations from readers and supporters are the only way we can keep researching and publishing. We're counting on you.

Sign Up For Our Free Newsletter

Stay up-to-date on military base contamination.
Get our Free Newsletter.

Your email address:* Your first name:*Your last name:*
* indicates a required field

Leave this field empty if you're human:

Why Support Civilian Exposure?

We need your help! Our outreach efforts, research, reports, and writing rely on your support. Help us in the fight for justice! Support Civilian Exposure in its mission to build awareness, accountability and assistance for everyone exposed to toxic contamination aboard U.S. military installations. Civilian Exposure is a fully tax-exempt, transparent, 501c3 non-profit organization.